JC BASEBALL: Chaps face WTC in key WJCAC series

Midland College's Michael Brosig pitches against New Mexico Junior College March 7 at Christensen Stadium. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Midland College's Michael Brosig pitches against New Mexico Junior College March 7 at Christensen Stadium. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Photo: JAMES DURBIN

Photo: JAMES DURBIN

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Midland College's Michael Brosig pitches against New Mexico Junior College March 7 at Christensen Stadium. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Midland College's Michael Brosig pitches against New Mexico Junior College March 7 at Christensen Stadium. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Photo: JAMES DURBIN

JC BASEBALL: Chaps face WTC in key WJCAC series

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At the beginning of every season, Midland College baseball coach David Coleman tells his players something that makes a whole lot of sense.

He tells his team that they’re going to play every game on the schedule, going to try to win them all, and at the end of the year total all the wins up and see where they fall.

That’s where the Chaparrals are at as they enter the final weekend of the Western Junior College Athletic Conference season tied with El Paso Community College for the fourth and final Region V Tournament qualifying spot as MC plays a home-and-home series against Western Texas College.

But it’s not just EPCC and Western Texas, which is two games back of fourth, MC has to worry about. Odessa College is a game back and Clarendon College is also two games back in the bunched-up WJCAC standings.

The only thing the Chaps (30-22, 15-17 in WJCAC) know for sure going into this weekend is that they’ve got a four-game series with the Westerners and they need to win.

“I think every person is excited about what we have a chance to do this weekend and we’re ready to face the challenge,” MC sophomore catcher/first baseman Chris Shaw said.

Just for the Chaps to have a chance at a regional berth is remarkable considering where this team was early in the WJCAC schedule. MC lost its first 10 league games, and at one point was 2-14, not the most ideal position to be in for any team.

But then a light went on, players started to get used to their roles, started winning games and series, and now the Chaps are one of the hottest teams in the WJCAC, having won 17 of the last 21 games.

“When we got our first (WJCAC) wins, they were big and we started getting more wins after that,” freshman second baseman Blaine Prescott said. “I knew what we had. We didn’t start off great but I knew we had the talent to do it.”

The turnaround might have started around spring break, which Coleman said came at a great time for his team. That’s when he sent an email to his players addressing some things, but also reminded them about their great character.

“We have the ultimate component to turn things around and that is character,” part of the email read. “We possess the greatest quality to get this thing turned around, and that is character. This is what we have to dig into, bring and harness to get this thing off the bottom. Character is revealed through adversity and I’ve got no problem with this group in this area.”

Most of the players took that to heart.

“We have phenomenal guys that do the right thing in any situation,” Shaw said. “That’s who we are and that’s what kind of brought us over this funk. Coach Coleman gave a great perspective in that email.”

For the Chaps to basically rise from the ashes and get into position to possibly make the postseason when most other teams would have folded, has made the coach and players proud.

“It would have been much easier and less resistance to just kind of turn it in, but they didn’t,” Coleman said. “If you’re measuring total wins and losses, then yeah this is a disappointing year for Midland College. But if you’re measuring where we started from and where we finish, this is one of the most exciting teams I’ve coached. If we don’t make the regional, I’ll be disappointed but I’ll be disappointed for these guys because, man, have they shown some resolve and toughness.”

Added Shaw, “I can’t say enough about these guys, the type of people they are, the kind of work ethic we have, and the resilience to not give in. Most of our season has been spent with our backs against the wall and we have been playing good baseball.”

The Chaps have had an interesting journey this year, to say the least, and now they hope that with a few more wins, they can continue that journey into the regional tournament.

“We need to play our best, have fun, play relaxed and just play our game,” said Prescott about this weekend.

Notes & quotes: Saturday’s doubleheader at Christensen was pushed back from its originally scheduled time of noon because of lack of availability of umpires. ...Other than two non-conference wins against the Westerners, the Chaparrals haven’t seen them much this season, but MC coach David Coleman said playing those midweek games are kind of hard to judge how good of a team is. He said historically the teams have played some close games and WTC has a really good sophomore RHP in Nolan Savage (6-4, 5.48 ERA), who has no-hit Howard College and shut out Odessa College this season. “We’ll have our hands full with that guy,” Coleman said. “But our hitters are doing pretty good. If we’re going to win regionals, we’re going to have to beat a guy like Nolan Savage.” ...The Chaps’ tentative rotation for this weekend will be sophomore RHP Brandon Courville (3-6, 3.18) in today’s first game, followed by sophomore RHP Michael Brosig (5-2, 5.09) in Game 2. On Saturday, freshman RHP Aaron Rumfield (1-0, 7.58), coming off a missed start due to elbow tendonitis, is expected to start Game 3, while sophomore RHP Jayden O’Dell (3-3, 3.95) is probable to start Game 4.